Magneto



May 4, 1937. L. GRIFFITHS ET AL MAGNET@ vFiled Jan. so, 1956 Inventors5km, mm w om n Fa l .nhl GFt dHc r ay e m dw sb Patented May 4, 1937UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE MAGNETO Application January 30, 1936, SerialNo. 61,614 In Great Britain February 26, 1935 7 Claims.

Our invention relates to ignition systems for internal Combustionengines and more partioularly to coupling connections between themagneto and distributor in combustion engine ignition systems.

It is an object of our invention to provide an improved manuallyoperable arrangement for selectively controlling the timing of theopening and closing of the distributor contacts with respect to theoperation of the magneto.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds, and the features of novelty whichcharacterize our invention will be pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming a part of this specication.

For a better understanding of our invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a magnetoprovided with a coupling arrangement embodying our invention; Fig. 2 isa side elevation, partly in section, of the magneto and couplingarrangement therefor shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view alongthe line 3--3 of the coupling connection shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 isa detailed view in section along the line 4-4 of a gear and spindleincluded in the coupling connection shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, we have shown in Fig. 1 a magneto I0 providedwith a frame II having an integral annular housing I2 formed on one endthereof which is adapted to contain a distributor of the ordinary typefor a multicylinder internal combustion engine. The distributorcontained in the housing I2 includes a cam of the conventional typewhich opens and closes the contacts of the distributor, the cam beingdriven by an upwardly extending rotatable spindle I3. The spindle I3 isconnected in driving relation with a rotatable shaft I4 of the magneto Iby a coupling arrangement embodying our invention. This couplingincludes a manually operable arrangement, hereinafter described, forselectively varying the angular relation between the spindle I3 and theshaft I4 about their respective axes. This selective manual variation ofthe angular relation between the spindle I3 and the shaft I4 effects anadjustment of the ignition timing since the shaft I4 is rotated by amechanism connected to the internal combustion engine, with which themagneto and distributor is used, in such manner that the position of theshaft I4 bears a positive relationship to some definite position of theengine pistons. As a consequence, a variation in the angular relationbetween the spindle I3 and the shaft I4 will cause the cam, attached tothe upper end of the spindle I3, to open and close the distributorcontacts earlier or later for a specified position of the shaft I4 andthus of the engine pistons.

The shaft I4 of the magneto I9 supports a rotatable magneto rotor I5within the housing Ii and one end of the shaft I4 extends through anaperture I6 formed in the end of the magneto housing. The shaft I4 isjournaled in suitable anti-friction bearings supported in the magnetohousing EI. As shown in Fig. 2, one of these anti-friction bearingsincludes a series of balls il, which are rotatably supported betweenannular inner and outer races I8 and I9, respectively. The inner race I8is press-fitted on the shaft i4 and the outer race I9 is supported in anannular recess 2i] surrounding the inner end of the aperture IB in themagneto frame II. A disk-shaped guard 2l is clamped between a shoulder22, formed on the shaft I4, and the inner sides of the bearing races I8and I9. 'Ihe guard 2| extends` entirely across the inner side of thespace between the bearing races I8 and I9 and prevents the leakage oflubricant therefrom into the magneto frame II. The guard 2I alsoprevents the entrance of dirt or other foreign matter into the bearingfrom the interior of the magneto frame II. A guard is also provided onthe outer side of the bearing in order to prevent the leakage oflubricant from the bearing and the entrance of dirt or other foreignmatter therein. This outer guard includes an annular ring 23 which isclamped between the outer bearing race I9 and the bottom of the recessin which the outer bearing race is mounted. The guard ring 23 isprovided with an axially extending integral flange 24 having an inwardlyextending peripheral portion 25 formed thereon. A series of annularwashers 26 made of felt or the like are mounted between the ring 23 andportion 25 of the flange 24, the washers 26 being held in spacedrelation by a series of annular metal spacing washers 21. The inneredges of the washers 26 are pressed into wiping Contact with theadjacent portion of the shaft I4 and prevent the leakage of lubricantalong the shaft.

An integral housing 28 projects from the end of the magneto frame II andis provided with a cylindrical bore 29 therein, which surrounds theprojecting end portion of the shaft I4. The spindle I3 is journaled in acylindrical sleeve bearing 30 which is mounted in an aperture 3l formedin the upper side of the housing 28, The spindle I3 and shaft I4 areconnected together in driving relation by a pair of meshing gearsarranged within the housing 28 and secured to the spindle I3 and shaftI4, respectively, one or the gears being movable with respect to itsassociated member to selectively vary the angular relation between thespindle I3 and shaft I4 about their respective axes. As shown in Figs. 2and 3, the outwardly extending portion of the shaft I 4 is provided witha plurality of splines 32 slidably engaging similar splines 33a formedwithin a helical gear 33 mounted on the shaft I4. A similar helical gear34 is arranged at substantially right angles with respect to the gear 33and meshes therewith. rFhe second helical gear 34 is rigidly secured tothe lower portion of the spindle I3, the gear 34 being provided with anaxially extending D-shaped hole in which the lower end of the spindle I3having a flattened side 35 is fitted, as best shown in Fig. 4. Axialdisplacement of the gear 34 along the spindle I3 is prevented by awasher 35 and nut 3T, the nut 3l being threaded on the lower end of thespindle i3.

The helical gear 33 is provided with an axially extending reducedportion 38 at the outer end thereof on which an annular race 39 of anantifriction type thrust bearing is press-fitted. The thrust bearingalso includes an annular race 40 and a plurality of balls 4l which arerotatably mounted between the races 39 and 40, respectively. The race ofthe thrust bearing is pressed in an annular recess 42 formed in anaxially movable disk 43. rlhe outward movement of the disk 43 is limitedby a shoulder44 formed on the inner side of a removable housing cap 45which extends across the open end of the recess 29 formed in the housing28. The housing cap 45 is secured in position by a series ol screws 46.A pin 4? mounted in a hole 48 formed in the housing cap 45 is providedwith an enlarged inner end 4 which is slidably tted in a registeringhole 5G formed in the disk 43 and thus prevents rotative movement of thedisk 43, while at the same time permitting axial movement thereof.

The helical gear 33 is biased against an inward axial movement towardthe magneto I0 by an arrangement including a helical compression spring5I, the inner end of which is mounted in a centrally located bore 52formed in the outer end of the shaft i4. The outer end of the spring 5Ibears against a cup-shaped closure member 53 which is mounted in theouter end of the extension 33 formed on the helical gear 33. The outeredges 54 of the extension 38 are spun over the adjacent end portion ofthe closure member 53 in order to hold the same in position. It wil1thus be seen that the compression spring' 5I exerts an outward biasingforce on the closure member 53 and, consequently, on the helical gear.33 which tends to move the gear 33 and its thrust bearing, as well asthe disk 43, outwardly in an axial direction. This outward axialmovement is limited by the shoulder 44 formed on the inner side of thehousing cap 45, as was noted above.

We have provided a readily accessible manually operable arrangement forselectively moving the helical gear 33 in an axial direction against thebias of the spring 5I and, consequently, for varying the angularrelation between the spindle I3 and shaft I4 about their respective axesso as to adjust the timing of the magneto. This arrangement includes asheet metal cup-shaped member 55 surrounding a projection 5E formed onthe outer side of the housing cover 45 and rigidly secured to a hollowbushing 5l by a screw 58, which is threaded in a tapped hole 59 formedin the bushing 51. The bushing 5l is rotatably mounted in a bore 45aformed in the housing cover 45. A laterally extending manual operatinghandle or member 65 is clamped to thc oupshaped member 55 by an annularclamping ring 6I which surrounds the side walls of the cupshaped member55 and is held in tight engage-- ment therewith by a screw |32, whichpaf` 3. through the handle 60 and is threaded in suitable holes formedin the adjacent ends 63 of the clamping ring 6I.

When the operating handle 6U is rotated by the operator, the member 5 towhich the handle 6D is secured, is also rotated as is the bushing 5I.

This rotative movement of the bushing causes the inner end thereof,which is provided with V-shaped cam surface 64, to rotate. The disk 43is provided with an integral centrally located extension 55 slidablymounted in the bore 45o formed in the housing cover 45 and having a.complementary V-shaped cam surface 65, which engages the cam surface 64of the bushing 57. Referring particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seenthat when the operating handle SG and bushing 5`I are rotated in aclockwise direction, viewed from the outer end of the housing 28, thatthe cam surface 64 will ride up toward the point of the cam surface E6,thus forcing the disk 43 inwardly. This inward movement of the disk 43also causes the helical gear 33 to be moved axially inward along thesplined portion ci the shaft I4. Conversely, when the operating handle69 andbushing 5l are rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the pointof the cam surface 6G will move toward the notch in the cam surface 64and the compression spring 5I will cause the disk 43 and helical gear 33to move axially outward. When the helical gear 33 is displaced eitherinwardly or outw ,."ily along the straight splined portion of the shaftthe helical gear 34 which is in mesh with the helical gear 33 will becorrespondingly rotated as will the spindle I3, which is secured to thehelical gear 34. This rotation of the spindle I3 will in turn effect anadjustment of the ignition timing for, as was pointed out above, thedisplacement of the spindle I3 will cause the cam attached to its upperend to open and close the distributor contacts earlier or later for aspecified position of the shaft I4, which bears a positive relationshipto some definite position of the engine pistons.

Additional support for the cam-surfaced extension 65 on the disk 43 andbushing 5`I is provided by a dowel pin 6T which is preferablypressfitted within a central bore 68 formed in the bushing 51 andslidably fitted in a centrally located bore 69 formed in the extension65 of the disk 43.

We have also provided an arrangement for limiting the rotative movementof the cup-shaped member 55 and bushing 57 as well as an arrangement forpreventing the axial movement of these parts. A pin 'I which is mountedin a hole II formed in the outer end of the housing cover 45 is providedwith an enlarged outer end I2 which extends through an arcuate slot 'I3formed in the cup-shaped member 55. The engagement of the pin 'I2 withthe opposite ends of the slots 13 thus limits the rotative movement ofthe member 55 and the bushing 51, which is secured thereto. The lengthof the slot 13 is designed with relation to the dimensions of the otherparts so that when the member 55 is rotated to one extreme position,allowed by the pin 12 and slot 13, the gear 33 will be moved to oneextremity of the splines 32 on the shaft I4; and in the other extremityof movement of the member 55, permitted by the pin 12 and slot 13, thegear 33 will be moved to the other extremity of the splines 32 on theshaft I4. Also the gears 33 and 34 are so designed with respect to theirco-operating parts that the fully advanced timing position correspondsto the position of the gear 33 to the extreme right, as viewed in Fig.2, for example, and the fully retarded timing position corresponds tothe position of the gear 33 at the extreme left end of its travel. Acollar 14, which surrounds the bushing 51 engaging a shoulder 15 formedthereon and is threaded in a tapped recess 16 in the outer end of thehousing cap 45, prevents axial displacement of the bushing 51 and disk55. The initial timing of the magneto, that is, the relative position ofthe rotor I5 and co-operating field poles when the contacts of thedistributor separate may be adjusted by screwing the collar 14 into orout of the recess 16. This initial adjustment can most conveniently bemade by first removing the member 55 and then moving the collar 14 tothe desired position.

The bore 29 in the housing 28 is normally filled with oil or otherlubricant up to the level of the shaft I4. An adequate supply oflubricant is thus had for the helical gears 33 and 34 as well as thethrust bearing 4I, the lower portions of which are immersed in the oil.The oil is supplied to the bore 29 and housing 28 through a supplypassage 11 formed in the side of the housing 28 and closed by a screw18. The spindle I3 and its bearing 30 are partly lubricated by oilsupplied thereto through a wick 19 which is positioned in an axiallyextending bore 80 formed in the spindle I3. Transverse holes 8| areformed in the spindle I3 communicating with the bore B0 therein throughwhich oil flows from the wick 19 to the contacting surfaces of thebearing 30 and spindle I3. Since a body of oil is always maintained inthe bottom of the housing 28, the lower end of the wick 19 is alwaysimmersed in oil. The contacting surfaces of the spindle I3 and bearing30 are also supplied with oil which passes thereto through a passage 82formed in the bearing 38 and communicating with the interior of thehousing 28 above the gear 33. The rotation of the gear 33 in the body ofoil maintained within the housing 28 causes a portion of the oil to bethrown upwardly by centrifugal force, into the passage 82 through whichit passes to the contacting surfaces of the spindle I3 and bearing 30.

While we have shown a particular embodiment of our invention, We do notdesire our invention to be limited to the particular construction shownand described and we intend in the appended claims to cover allmodifications within the spirit and scope of our invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In combination, a magneto provided with a rotatable shaft and a rotormounted on said shaft, an actuating spindle for an internal combustionengine distributor, said shaft having an extended splined portion, ahelical gear slidably mounted on said splined portion of said shaft,biasing means for biasing said helical gear against axial movement alongsaid splined portion of said shaft, a second helical gear secured tosaid spindle and meshing with said first named helical gear, andmanually operable means for selectively displacing said first namedhelical gear axially along said splined portion of said shaft againstthe biasing force exerted thereon by said biasing means to vary theangular relation between said spindle and said shaft about theirrespective axes, said manually operable means including an axiallyslidable cam associated with said first named helical gear and amanually movable cam contacting with said first named cam.

2. In combination, a magneto provided with a frame and a rotor having arotatable shaft journaled in said frame, said shaft being provided twith a splined portion extending outside said frame, a housingprojecting from said frame and surrounding said splined portion of saidshaft, an actuating spindle for an internal combustion enginedistributor, one end of said spindle extending into said housing, ahelical gear slidably mounted on said splined portion of said shaftwithin said housing, a second helical gear secured to said portion ofsaid spindle within said housing and meshing with said rst named helicalgear, and manually operable means including an operating member mountedon the cuter end of said housing for selectively displacing said firstnamed helical gear axially along said splined portion of said shaft toVary the angular relation between said spindle and said shaft abouttheir respective axes.

3. In combination, a magneto provided with a frame and a rotor having arotatable shaft journaled in said frame, said shaft being provided witha po-rtion extending axially beyond said frame, a housing projectingfrom said frame and surrounding said extended portion of said shaft, acombustion engine distributor housing mounted on said first namedhousing, an actuating spindle for the combustion engine distributorextending into said distributor housing and into said first namedhousing, means including meshing gears secured to said shaft and to saidspindle respectively for connecting said spindle and said shaft indriving relation, and manually operable means including an operatingmember mounted on the outer end of said first named housing forselectively moving one of said gears with respect to the member to whichit is secured to vary the angular relation between said spindle and saidshaft about their respective axes.

4. In combination, a magneto provided with a frame and a rotor having arotatable shaft journaled in said frame, said shaft being provided witha splined portion extending outside said frame, a housing projectingfrom said frame and surrounding said splined portion of said shaft, anactuating spindle for an internal combustion engine distributor, one endof said spindle extending into said housing, .a helical gear slidablymounted on said splined portion of said shaft within said housing, meansincluding a compression spring for biasing said helical gear againstaxial movement along said splined portion of said shaft, a secondhelical gear secured to said portion of said spindle within said housingand meshing with said first named helical gear,

said housing having a bore formed therein substantially in alignmentwith said shaft, and manually operable means for selectively displacingsaid iirst named helical gear axially along said splined portion of saidshaft to vary the angular relation between said spindle and said shaftabout their respective axes, said last named means including a manuallymovable cam slidably mounted in said bore in said housing and a secondcam associated with said rst named helical gear and contacting with saidfirst named cam.

5. In combination, a magneto provided with a frame and a rotor having arotatable shaft journaled in said frame, said shaft being rovided with asplined portion extending outside said frame, a housing projecting fromsaid frame and surrounding said splined portion of said shaft, anactuating spindle for an internal combustion engine distributor, one endof said spindle eX- tending into said housing, a helical gear slidablymounted on said splined portion of said shaft Within said housing, meansincluding a compression spring for biasing said helical gear againstaxial movement along said splined portion of said shaft, a secondhelical gear secured to said portion of said spindle Within said housingand meshing with said .first named helical gear, said housing having abore formed therein substantially in alignment with said shaft and saidhelical gear having an axial projection formed thereon adjacent saidbore, an axially movable cam member slidably mounted in said bore, meansincluding an anti-friction thrust bearing for connecting said helicalgear and said cam member, said thrust bearing being provided with a racemounted on said projection on said first named helical gear and a racesecured to said cam member, and manually operable means including anoperating member mounted on the outer end of said housing and a secondcam member rotatably mounted in said bore and contacting with said iirstnamed cam member for selectively' displacing said first named helicalgear` axially along said splined portion of said shaft against thebiasing force of said biasing means to vary the angular relation betweensaid spindle and said shaft about their respective axes.

6. In combination, a magneto provided with a frame and a rotor having arotatable shaft journaled in said frame, said shaft being provided witha portion extending outwardly beyond said frame, a housing projectingfrom said frame and surrounding said extended portion of said shaft, anactuating spindle for an internal combustion engine distributor havingone end thereof extending into said housing, means including a bearingsecured to said housing for supporting said spindie, means includingmeshing gears secured to said shaft and seid spindle respectively forconnecting said spindle and said shaft in driving relation, said housinghaving a reservoir formed in the lower portion thereof adapted tocontain lubricant for said gears, said spindle having an axialiyextending bore formed therein, and means including a wick mounted insaid bore formed in said spindle and extending into the lubricantcontained in said reservoir for supplying lubricant to said spindlebearing.

7. in combination, a magneto provided with a frame and a rotor having arotatable shaft journaled in said frame, said shaft being provided witha portion extending outwardly beyond said frame, a housing projectingfrom said frame and surrounding said extended portion of said shaft, anactuating spindle for an internal combustion engine distributor havingone end thereof extending into said housing, means including a bearingsecured to said housing for supporting said spindle, means includingmeshing gears secured to said shaft and said spindle respectively forconnecting said spindle and said shaft in driving relation, said housinghaving a reservoir formed in the loiver portion thereof adapted tocontain lubricant for said gears, and means for conveying lubricantthrown from the surface of at least one of said gears by centrifugalforce during the rotation thereof to said spindle bearing.

LEONARD GRIFFITHS.

SIDNEY H. FRANKLIN.

